Everyone took their seat at the living room. Discussing what concept to choose for the next challenge.
"Let's state our opinions. If you look at the sundae-nims photoshoots, they have that 'we are a team' concept, and it's really natural," Dahyun stated seriously.
"I feel like they just naturally posed and stuff and just shot it, " Somi inputs.
"To be honest, we are going to do a lot of bright concepts. So I think if we are going to show something we should show that we are not just young." Jihyo said.
"We need to prove we can show different images." Chaeyoung agreed.
" But there are people who don't suit tough concepts, so we should go with the theme that suits the majority," Dahyun argued, making everyone fall into an awkward silence.
" Don't overthink, Dahyun-unnie. I know you are feeling pressured, that's cool, everyone does. But I think you need to lighten up, or it will affect your performance later." Llana, who is sitting between Natty and Sana, stated.
Llana knew Dahyun was feeling the weight of her rising popularity, ranking second on the leaderboards, right behind her. It was a double-edged sword, and Llana could see how it was starting to affect Dahyun negatively feeling burdened by the expectation.
Love and attention… could either lift you up or weigh you down..
After a moment, Somi offered a compromise. "I think all of your points are valid. We could use Jihyo-unnie's bright concept and Chaeyoung-unnie's ideas—maybe go with a dark theme—combining the two. Dahyun-unnie is right too. Not all of us suit a tough concept. So why not add a twist? Since we're all young and energetic, we could combine that with the dark theme. What do you think?"
Chaeryoung chimed in, eyes brightening. "Yeah, that's a great idea. Since our group has a lot of young members, we could mix a bright, youthful twist into the dark concept."
'That might work, I guess,' Llana thought to herself.
Most of their group were still minors—herself included—so a dark theme paired with a bright concept could easily look out of place or awkward.
That was probably what Dahyun was worried about, and honestly, she had a point.
Still, as they say, contrast can be powerful when used right… and sometimes, it creates the strongest impact. A kind of light in the darkness—one that didn't overshadow their youthfulness, but highlighted it.
The others nodded in agreement, though Dahyun still seemed a bit uncertain. But after a moment, she also agreed.
"Alright, since everyone's on board, let's confirm our choice with PD-nim," Jihyo said, standing up to make the call.
Not long after, Jihyo entered with the PD-nim following behind her and announced, "The advantage for this week's mission is wearing items that have been worn by famous artists like Lady Gaga and Marilyn Manson, all designed by the world-renowned Lee Jooyoung."
Everyone's jaws dropped in shock, hardly believing they'd get to wear outfits once donned by such iconic figures.
Llana's reaction, however, was less enthusiastic. While the others were buzzing with excitement, she was less thrilled about wearing clothes that had already been worn by others. Luxurious or not.
Wait.
A thought came to her.
She hadn't been like this before.
In her first life, as an orphan, almost all of her clothes had been hand-down, so she had never minded wearing secondhand things.
So why now?
Is the previous owner of this body subconsciously rejecting the idea of wearing used items?
It seemed that this body's preferences were gradually mixing into hers without her noticing.
Previously, she had never realized it, perhaps because she and the Llana of this world shared almost the same personality.
This body was born with a golden spoon. She had never lacked anything (except health). So was the remaining consciousness within this body now instinctively denying the idea of wearing used clothes?
If that's the case.....
How much of me is still me?
Or is she getting used to this body?
To its wealth, that's why she instinctively shows distaste. Just thinking about it made her uneasy. The idea that money and comfort could slowly change her into someone she didn't want to be was terrifying.
Wealth, she knew, could be a kind of poison, and she didn't want to be blinded by it.
She won't let it blind her.
"If everyone's ready, we can head out now," the PD-nim prompted, making her snap back. The group nodded, still in awe of the opportunity ahead.
The group arrived at the high-end boutique. The atmosphere inside was heavy and solemn, with an almost eerie edge that made the air feel thick. The walls were lined with racks of dark, luxurious garments, each more extravagant than the last, accompanied by glittering accessories and carefully displayed high-end items.
Big red candles flickered softly around the room, casting shadows that danced across the walls. A large cross adorned with a figure of Jesus hung on one wall, and other statues scattered throughout only deepened the boutique's gloomy, dramatic vibe, perfectly matching the dark, decadent theme.
Llana glanced around casually. She didn't like the vibe of the room; for her, it felt more unsettling than inspiring. But as she looked at the others, she noticed they were completely mesmerized by the glamorous pieces. Sana, Dahyun, Chaeyoung, Jihyo, Somi, and the rest eagerly sifted through the racks, holding outfits up against themselves, laughing and brimming with excitement over trying on clothes once worn by famous celebrities.
Seeing them so caught up in the fun, Llana decided not to overthink it and joined in.
Suddenly, Dahyun bounced over to her side, a gleeful expression on her face, holding out a piece of clothing. "Llana, try this!" she urged enthusiastically.
Llana took one look at the item—a black faux fur coat—and couldn't hide her immediate disgust.
"Nah, unnie, that's… doesn't suit me," she said, wrinkling her nose in a way that was both comical and telling.
Honestly, she'd probably look like a vulture if she wore that thing.
Her unfiltered reaction set off a wave of laughter among the others. Even the cameraman caught the moment, but Llana didn't care. She was just being herself.
As the hours passed, everyone finally made their selections, taking turns changing into the outfits they had chosen for the shoot, laughing and complimenting each other along the way.
For the photoshoot, Llana decided to wear a mid-length black velvet coat over a fitted black lace high-neck blouse, paired with sleek black leather pants and knee-high boots, accented with black earrings.
"Now let's try various poses,"